3 miller lites and a shot of whiskey

Happy 4th! Now I don't feel so bad for drinking wine every night. Here's to my next 70 years! Cheers! :-)

Official Drink of Summer

If you haven't tried this, you are missing out! Thanks Alla and Kelly, LOVE it! :-) It will be my official drink for the summer....perhaps I should just purchase a case, haha.

Cheers! Til next time...

Hello?? Is this thing still on?!?

I guess this blogging stuff is not for me, or perhaps I'm just too busy, or popular ;-o, to keep up with this thing. Whatever it is, here's a post for ya...it will mainly be a picture post because we have been super busy!

But before I get to the pictures, the other day on the way to work, guess what I saw on the side of the freeway?? Guesses anyone? A rooster. And it was ALIVE. Seriously, as I was going 60+ mph through the EZ tag lane, on the left shoulder was a poor rooster, R.I.P fella, because there is no way in hell he made it through the day. I was on the lookout for feathers the next day, but no sign of life anywhere. Maybe he got rescued, who knows, but that was pretty crazy to see. God, I love Houston. OK, some of my recent fav pics...

The three muskateers

And when did this little boy get to be FIVE years old!?!

And this last one...we bought this at a convenience store on Sunday. Sizzurp anyone!? Curious to know if anyone knows what this stuff is. ;-)

Til next time...

Dear Rachel

I was reminded the other day that you're not here, and you won't ever again be, at least in this life and on this earth. There is no other way to say it, but that moment sucked (I know you probably like me being blunt). Randy and I were in our bedroom with Samantha; she was dancing with her daddy to tunes on the ipod, she is too cute! She ventured to an area where I have some random stuff laying around...maybe it's a sign that I need to put some stuff away, but anyway, she started bringing me what she found. She started with pictures. They were of you, with friends, with family, by yourself (in all your glory!), but of you, with us, you know, that way it should still be. I smiled and reminisced, actually being able to remember every moment in those pictures, man we had some good times (and I swear if Samantha does some of the things we did, I will go insane!). She kept going back and forth, bringing pictures, one by one, giving me time to look at each one, and to think of old times, and to place myself in that exact moment. It's like she knew that I needed a few moments between each new picture she brought me, to do just that, reminisce and think back on all the good times we had. That we should still be having. With you. After about picture #10, I lost it. I know, you were probably really mad at me for doing that, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's as if you're so close, but so far away. I know in the end that there were times when we didn't see each other as often as we used to (sucks being a grown up!), so when I was looking at the first pictures, I got that exact feeling. Oh Rach is in Nac, I'll see her soon. But then I "woke up" and came back to reality. You're not here. You're not just up the road. You're not just a drive away. You're not coming back. And it absolutely sucks. I miss you Rach. Please continue to watch over all of us. You're our guardian angel and we will forever be amazing chicks....together. Love you. -Sue

"If you leave, don't leave now..."

Croup

WHAT!?!??!?!?! (Think of Ellen here....)

So, yes...my little twinkle toes has croup, in addition to a ear infection, gooey eyes and maybe strep throat. But, the strep part doesn't really matter since she's got the ear infection, they treat it the same way.

GOOD NEWS is that she still a happy girl. I picked her up today, thinking I was crazy for leaving work early, because she was running around outside, playing with her friends, in the dirt, and having a ball. Her teacher called me today and said she had a "really bad cough". I thought, OK, not much I can do about it, because we were just in the doctor's office Monday and found out she had a virus (fever, runny nose, congestion, little cough, etc.). Nothing you can do with a virus, but wait it out. Then I thought, this lady listens to kids coughing all day, so maybe this is something I need to worry about, and the cough had gotten a little worse since then. So, decided to go get her and take her in...good thing, mainly due to the ear infection. Ugh. Antibiotics are not my friend, and now add in eye drops and steroids to help with her throat inflammation.

Hopefully we'll be back to normal in the next couple of days! It is supposed to be a wonderful weather weekend here, so want to take full advantage of that.

With that said, I will leave you all with this!


Til next time...

Milestones

I am constantly amazed with this little girl....




This is what my little girl is up to these days...

1. Saying "uh-oh" and "cow" (I think it's cow, maybe it's cat, who knows) -- just adorable
2. Pointing to mommy's nose
3. Hugging on command, I love it!
4. Babbling up a storm, I wish I knew what all she was saying!
5. Eating bubbles -- she loves to eat the bubbles in the bathtub!
6. Dancing -- precious!
7. Nodding yes or no when asked if she's done eating

Maybe not significant milestones in everyone's mind, but man, she just melts me! :-)

Til next time...

You're Chopped!

As my 4 1/2 year old nephew was eating dinner one night, he looked at his mommy and said....

"Your -- rice -- is -- soggy -- YOU'RE CHOPPED!"

You think they watch Food Network or something. ;-)

Man, I love that little boy...he is the cutest!

Adios

This is where we'll be hanging out the next few days. Going to miss my Samantha, but know she is in great hands and will have so much fun with the grandparents.

Peace out kiddos...here's to many tropical adult beverages, reading lots of trashy magazines, and doing absolutely nothing. Let's hope I come back with somewhat of a tan.

Til next time...

The Reader

Anyone seen it? What a whacko of a movie...now, what to choose next on the list, because that was a doozy. How do movies like this earn so many nominations and awards!?! I just don't get it. And Kate Winslet won Best Actress. She was OK, but not extraordinary in my opinion.

The Maid, Part II

So, the maid was back last week for our bi-weekly cleaning. Remember, she was supposed to bring the 30 clothes items back since $75 was too much. Whatever. Randy and I were both gone, so when I got home (had completely forgotten that she was even there that day), I noticed that indeed she did bring back the clothes. So, what do I do......I count them. She said she took 30, it was about 50. And, she thought that $75 was too much!??! I'd like to find out where she shops, because obviously she gets them dirt cheap. And, they were mostly my work clothes, again, much more than the $2 I was going to charge her. She called the next day to talk to me about some things, mentioned she brought the clothes back, etc....and that she agreed I could get so much more if I took them to goodwill for the tax return, because she does that all the time. Mind you, when Randy originally told her that's what we wanted to do, she acted like she had no idea about the tax return. Ahhhhh, oh well.....I'll let it go. Maybe I'll keep them until next year's garage sale and sell them for $1. ;-o

Work was absolute S-H-I-T last week....so much so, that I can't and don't want to even get into it here. The search for that monogramming machine may be closer than I expected. ;-)

But, to make it all the better, we booked a trip to Mexico to celebrate my birthday! We leave in just about 2 weeks and will be gone 4 nights. And, we will most likely be watching the Super Bowl in espanol, hot dog! Jealous, I know. This will be our first big trip away from Samantha, but I know we can do it, and I know she will love spending the time with the grandparents. Thank goodness for us all being in the same city. So, with that, I bid you all a good night.

Til next time..... (hopefully sooner rather than later!)

A new year and a run-in with the maid

Wow, I can't believe we are in 2010, 10 years since the millennium, absolutely nuts! I hope to get better this year at all this blogging nonsense....I had great intentions, but I failed. Please forgive me.

We had a FANTASTIC Christmas and birthday with Samantha, crazy to believe she is ONE. She is a pro-walker now and keeps us busy. In no time, we'll be having conversations with her. Until then, I will spoil her and enjoy this time when she is still my baby. I haven't accepted the fact yet that I have a toddler. Seriously!?

Need some opinions on this next topic. Back in November we did our neighborhood garage sale, and we sold a TON of clothes! Thank goodness because the amount we had was insane. So with the holidays and being busy, I never got around to taking the rest of the clothes to goodwill. Randy took his, but I wanted to go through mine, as some were work clothes that I wanted to donate to Dressing for Success, or some type of charity like that. Plus, others still had tags, and who knows, maybe I would just keep them for next year's sale, since they were such a huge hit. So, back to the story....the clothes were sitting on a sofa in a back room. Our maid came this past Thursday, she is absolutely wonderful and we have no negative things to say about her. We got a call from her that evening and Randy talked to her. She said she meant to leave us a note (neither of us was at home when she was there), that she had gone through my clothes and taken some, including a leather jacket, which was in tip-top shape. She wanted to know how much she owed us, and if we wanted her to bring the leather jacket back. And she commented that she knew "I'd be taking them to goodwill anyway". Then she mentioned she had taken 30 items! Randy told her we'd call her back because he obviously knew this was something he needed my input on.

One, we were shocked that she did that in the first place. We would have thought she would have called us and asked if she could go through the clothes, before taking them. It was as if she was asking for forgiveness after the fact, rather than asking for permission. Anywho, not knowing what she took (again, I had many nice, expensive work clothes, clothes with tags, etc.), we decided, OK, let's say it's $2 per item (a steal!) and $15 for the leather jacket, which is in great condition. That came to $75 which I thought was a great deal, much less than we would get for taking them to goodwill and itemizing them on our tax return. But, hey, she's our maid, we like her a lot. $75 is actually what we pay her, so Randy called her back and said that ok, you can keep the clothes, so how about you clean our house for free next time? Her response was, "Oh, that is way too much.....I thought Susan was just going to take them to goodwill..." Then Randy said, well no, if we take them to goodwill, we can itemize and get $$$ on our tax return for next year. Seemed she didn't understand that concept. So, think there were a few comments back and forth, and then Randy just said, ok, well just bring the clothes back if you're not willing to pay that amount.

So, are we out of line???? I mean, I know her family obviously needs $$$ and clothes more than we do, but she took 30 items! If it was 5 or 6, ok....have them, they are yours. And the leather jacket, maybe I would have asked for $10 or something. But, 30 items!?! And then telling us that $75 was too much!! I have no idea what she took (work clothes, brand new clothes, etc.), since she took before asking, but we thought $2 per item was very reasonable.

I kind of feel bad for asking her to bring the clothes back, but she didn't even counter-offer and say, ok, how about I give you this amount?? It was as if, she thought we would let her have them for free.

So, what would you have done? Anxiously awaiting your comments, haha. ;-)

Til next time....

A special day

Happy birthday to my sweet sweet girl. What a year it has been and can't wait to celebrate many many more with you! I love you more than you could ever imagine!

A year ago





And today

What a blessing you truly are! Mommy loves you! Happy birthday sweetie...

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a blessed day! For those that are not here with us, I hope this brings comfort.

"Christmas in Heaven"
by Wanda Bencke

I see the countless Christmas trees
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like Heaven's stars
Reflecting in the snow.

The sight is so spectacular
Please wipe away that tear,
For I am spending Christmas
With Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs
That people hold so dear,
But the sound of music can't compare
with the Christmas Choir up here.

I have no words to tell you
Of the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description
To hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart,
But through our memories so dear
We are never far apart.

I can't tell you of the splendor
Of the peace here in this place,
Can you just imagine Christmas
With our Savior face to face?

I'll ask Him to light your spirit
As I tell Him of your love,
Then I'll pray for one another
As you lift your eyes above.

So, please let your heart be joyful
And let your spirit sing,
For I'm spending Christmas in Heaven
And I'm walking with the king.

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness

No, it's not Miss Hannigan, I just cannot believe it is Christmas already! Where has the time gone, where has the year gone....in just a few days, I will have a one year old, absolutely crazy, but so divine, all at the same time. I only had to work Monday this week and I am off until January 5th, woohoo! The time will fly by and I will be back before I know it, but I will be sure to enjoy every minute of it!

I hope to get better at this blogging nonsense after the new year....I haven't been so great these past few months, but the holidays are my excuse and I think it's a good one. :-)

Also uploading pictures on the computer tonight.....so, what do you think?



Think she gets her mother's hair genes? Poor girl, I'm so sorry!

I probably won't be back to the dub dub dub until after Christmas, so until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone. I hope you all enjoy your time with family and friends! Until next time, here's something I'll leave you with. Can you believe this was just a year ago on Christmas day?


Til next time....

All I want for Christmas

I (heart) Santa.


I was so impressed with her, she did great! :-) I think she is just a doll....

Walk this way

Look at me!

MY FIRST STEPS

Tried to embed, but it didn't work...

(apologies that my only words are "big girl"...guess I need to practice on my mommy language!)


How did my baby grow up so fast?

Welcome Baby Evan and Baby Charlotte!

Baby Evan arrived in our world on Tuesday, Nov 24! He is an absolute doll and many congratulations to the new parents, Allison and Justin!



And sweet little Charlotte was also born on Nov 24, but 11 weeks early. She is a fighter for sure and is doing great, so please say some prayers for continued Strength, that she and her parents get stronger and stronger, day by day. I cannot wait to meet that little angel.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It is hard to believe that the holiday week is winding down and in just a couple of days, I will be back at work. :-( And, now the hustle and bustle of Christmas begins!





More to come on our Turkey Day festivities, so stay tuned. Til next time...

The 12 days of Thanksgiving

That's right, 12 days until I have to go back to work, woohoo!!! I was beyond excited yesterday as I exited the office, held up my hands and said, "See ya suckers!". Pure joy I tell ya.

Spent 1.5 hours at the grocery store this morning, getting everything for Thanksgiving. I wanted to get all my shopping done before the mad rush, and I was quite successful! Also, saved $25 with coupons, cha-ching! I look forward to Sundays when I can clip my coupons. I know, I'm a nerd.

Off to chiropractor and then to Target to tackle some Christmas and birthday shopping!

Til next time.....gobble gobble...

Where in the world....

....did I go!!? I know, I know...I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks. And, I am certain the virtual world has missed me, right? ;-) I really don't have an excuse, except I guess I just haven't been motivated. I'm in a rut right now....work just sucks. Nothing major is going on, I'm not working THAT hard, and come on, I only work 3 days a week as it is. So, why the complaining? I just don't like working anymore. I wake up DREADING to go to work every day, I mean, REALLY DREADING. It doesn't make it any easier that I work in the consulting world. What was I thinking? A part-time consultant? HA, now that's funny. Don't get me wrong, I'm not working any more than I am getting paid for, but in the world of consulting, that won't cut it. If I'm not giving 200% (i.e. working more hours and producing more work), then it's never good enough. I'm OK being average, mediocre, you know....and in this industry, that's just not how it works. Being average (i.e. having a balance between work, life and family) has consequences.

Am I just in a phase?! Does this happen to everyone?? I hope so, because the option for me not to work, is I think, not an option. I told Randy that I was going to buy a monogramming machine and see what these crafty (er, non crafty) Martha Stewart hands can do! It can't be that hard, can it? I guess I get my inspiration from etsy.com, addicted to that site! If you haven't visited before, check it out. It's UH-MAZING! So, don't be surprised when I tell you I've bought the machine. :-)

Who's ready for TURKEY?? I absolutely LOVE Thanksgiving! Definitely my favorite holiday. I guess because I love family and food, and it's before the hustle and bustle of Christmas, and it's just a great All-American holiday. And we get 2 days off of work, yoohoo! All you have to worry about is when you'll have to unbutton the top of your pants to make more room for food. No worrying about if Great Aunt Elda would rather have the red arglye sweater or the blue wool socks for Christmas. Ours will be a small gathering this year, but looking forward to spending the time with family and friends, that's what it's all about. Oh, and I guess it's about football too. :-)

On to reality TV....was bittersweet to see Tracy leave the Biggest Loser. I know she was nuts (but in my mind she was just playing the game)...she reminds me so much of Rachel. Not so much her personality (maybe a little bit of her quirkiness!), but definitely her physical appearance. I looked forward to watching the show so I could see her. Made me think of Rach often and realize how much she is missed. *Sigh*

OK, got to get back to my wine drinking ;-), til next time....

Happy Halloween!